Looking for a special flour...

[RobinW]

Well, being new to this country (US) there are a few items I miss and can't find. A special flour is one of them.

So, I am looking for a white wheat/rye mix flour that we (Swedes) use for baking bread when wanting something not too dense, not too dark but more substance than pure white bread.
I am not sure but I think that the rye might be a bit lighter than "normal" as well.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!

[jensd]

Hi,
I´ve just started making rye breads more often, that is not a classical sourdough but a mixture of wheat flour (AP) and rye flour.
You can pretty much mix them to your taste and use similar/same recipes depending on how much rye flour you´re using. Rye flour isn´t necessarily "thirstier" than wheat flour but can be. Go by feel and maybe add a little water if needed.

I use recipes and techniques from Bertinet´s "dough:contemporary breads".
His standard mix was something like 400g wheat flour (550 type strong bread flour or AP flour) and 100g of rye.
325g water, 10g fresh yeast and salt. You can make it darker using more rye, up to using only rye which I wouldn´t suggest as a starter.
Rye breads (and basically all others also) benefit from using a starter. Just take away 200g of a "finished" dough and keep it in the fridge until you make your next bread. (up to 7-10 days) Then use it for your next bread and again keep ~200g in the fridge for the next. It sounds like a lot of work but it isn´t and does definitely improve the flavour.

I usually use a 350g/150g mix (wheat/rye) which I like. Rye works really well with walnuts in the dough or honey.

Good luck in finding "your" mixture.

Jens

[Fred]

I agree with Jens. Most of us simply mix rye and white bread flour to get the result we want. There are many formulas available that provide proven mixes measured by weight.

I know the flours are different here than they are in Europe. One of my favorite bread books is French and none of the formulas work well with our flours. I have to adapt and adjust every one of them. After a while it becomes almost automatic. I'm sure you will adapt without any real problems.

[kcma]

Gourmet import carries just about everything. So does jb prince.

[RobinW]

Thanks!

Good ideas!